Four Takeaways From Cardinals' 42-34 Win Over Saints
NFL fans finally saw a large number of points during a Thursday Night Football game thanks to the Arizona Cardinals' 42-32 victory against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7.
The primetime matchup was as much of a must-win game as it could get for either team. Arizona and New Orleans entered Thursday banged up with injuries and the loser would end up going 2-5 and have 10 long days to play their next game.
The Cardinals win after losing their previous two games and will go to 3-4. They have won their first home game since October of 2021 and will face the Minnesota Vikings on the road in Week 8.
Here are the team's three takeaways following their Week 7 win.
Defense Erupts After Slow Start
Prior to Week 7, the Cardinals' defense hadn’t allowed more than 20 points in their last four games.
In the first drive, Andy Dalton threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Rashid Shaheed on the fourth play of the game.
Missed tackles were a problem for the Cardinals. That was evident in Kevin White’s 64-yard reception, leading to a Dalton touchdown pass to Taysom Hill, who broke a tackle from Byron Murphy.
But the Arizona defense easily had its moments with three interceptions in the first half — two of them pick-sixes. Marco Wilson notched one of the pick-sixes after giving up a touchdown early on.
Isaiah Simmons's big-play abilities were on full display when he picked Dalton and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown with 46 seconds left in the first half.
The box score shows Arizona allowed 34 points and 494 total yards.
But no one should complain when two turnovers turn into touchdowns. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has continued to put out good results each week.
DeAndre Hopkins is Here
It was a tough task for DeAndre Hopkins to return on a short week after missing the first six games of the season due to a PED suspension.
However, the Cardinals had Hopkins working as he caught ten receptions for 103 yards on 14 targets. Murray and Hopkins showed chemistry that was evident in their first two seasons together.
It would’ve been interesting to see Hopkins paired with Marquise Brown, who has been the Cardinals’ No. 1 receiving option.
Arizona will have to make do without Brown for the foreseeable future.
But no matter what, Hopkins is Murray's favorite target and that won’t change any time soon.
Eno Benjamin Breakout Game
We all thought Benjamin would dominate against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6, but he had 15 rushes for just 37 yards.
Things were different on Thursday for the Arizona State product. The third-year running back had 12 carries for 92 yards including an impressive fourth-quarter touchdown.
With uncertainty surrounding the injured James Conner, the shifty Benjamin will continue to get first-team reps.
Fantasy football managers should rejoice.
Murray & Kingsbury Drama Continue
We've seen Murray and Kingsbury get into verbal exchanges in the past. Both were animated on camera in their Week 4 win vs. the Carolina Panthers.
This time, Murray was angry with Kingsbury for calling a timeout late in the first half on first-and-goal.
The Cardinals would score a touchdown on the next play and tie the game on the ensuing two-point conversion.
Murray looked more comfortable than last week, completing 20 of 29 passes for 209 yards with a touchdown. He also ran the ball seven times for 30 yards.
Both Murray and Kingsbury might need to butt heads more often. The Cardinals are 2-0 when they are angry at each other.
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